Researcher: Mobilizing Syrians to fight abroad threatens stability, revives divisions

Dr. Ibrahim Muslim, a political researcher, has warned of the dangers of mobilizing Syrians to participate in conflicts beyond their country's borders, noting that the phenomenon cannot be separated from the consequences of Syria's prolonged war, which left social divisions, psychological trauma, economic crises and weakened state institutions.

Muslim said wars do not always end when military operations cease. Instead, they may continue in other forms through the exploitation of collective memory, the manipulation of grievances and the revival of hostilities in new regional contexts.

He added that some parties recognize that Syrians exhausted by war, those who have lost family members, been forced to flee their homes or face severe economic hardship, may be more vulnerable to rhetoric promising to restore their dignity, defend their community or avenge enemies portrayed as extensions of those they fought in the past.

Political interests intersect with military and ideological calculations in this context, Muslim explained, turning Syrians from citizens in need of security, stability and the opportunity to rebuild their lives into tools that can be used in conflicts that do not necessarily serve their national interests.

He noted that the issue extends beyond direct recruitment to include media incitement campaigns, politicized religious rhetoric, the exploitation of poverty and unemployment, and the portrayal of participation in fighting as a moral, religious or national duty.

Muslim stressed that the central problem lies in turning Syrians' suffering, which deserves to be addressed and remedied, into a means of fueling new conflicts. Rather than directing efforts toward social recovery and state reconstruction, he said, what remains of Syrian society's capabilities is being drained by battles that may further complicate the country's crises.

Exploiting Religious Heritage and Memories of War

Discussing the use of religious heritage and memories of the Syrian war to portray regional conflicts as extensions of the conflict inside Syria, Muslim said religious and historical memory is among the most influential tools in shaping collective consciousness, particularly in societies that have endured prolonged wars and accumulated feelings of fear, injustice and mistrust.

He added that when such memory is exploited for political purposes, it can be transformed from a source of spiritual and moral values into a tool for mobilization and polarization.

He explained that this occurs by invoking historical events with sectarian significance, taking religious texts out of context, or associating parties to current conflicts with specific religious and social identities, as though political and military confrontations were merely another episode in an endless historical struggle.

Images and painful events from the Syrian war are also revived to fuel fear and desires for revenge, while regional conflicts are presented as direct extensions of what happened inside Syria, despite differences in contexts, parties, interests and circumstances, he noted.

Muslim emphasized that the danger lies in confusing memory with reality. "Not every new conflict is an extension of a previous one, and not every party belonging to a particular sectarian community is responsible for the actions of other parties that share the same affiliation," he said.

He pointed out that turning sectarian differences into rigid political and military boundaries contributes to creating an imagined collective enemy, leading people to judge others based on their identity rather than their positions, actions and actual responsibility.

Muslim stressed that one of the most dangerous forms of the political exploitation of religion occurs when political conflicts are given a sacred justification, fighting is presented as a non-negotiable duty, and refusing to participate is portrayed as betrayal or cowardice.

He called for distinguishing between faith as a moral and spiritual value and the use of religion to justify violence or advance political interests. He also stressed the need to assess regional developments based on the facts on the ground rather than narratives that exploit the wounds of the past.

Risks of Reproducing Internal Divisions

Asked about the risks of Syrians participating in confrontations involving parties whose communities or social environments have diverse sectarian affiliations, Muslim said such participation could have consequences extending beyond direct military casualties to affect the future of social relations within Syria, the country's ties with its regional surroundings and its ability to restore stability after years of war.

He explained that the first risk is the reproduction of internal divisions by importing foreign conflicts into Syrian society. When individuals from one social or sectarian community participate in fighting against parties associated with other sectarian communities, the confrontation may become fuel for mutual incitement, with entire communities held responsible for the actions of individuals or armed formations.

This could open the door to a new cycle of fear and revenge based on collective generalization, he added. One side may justify violence because of the other side's affiliation, prompting the opposing side to respond using the same logic. As a result, prospects for reconciliation diminish and rebuilding trust becomes more difficult.

The second risk, he said, is the depletion of human and economic resources at a time when Syria needs its people's efforts to rebuild infrastructure, restore essential services, revive agriculture and production, and address the consequences of displacement, poverty and unemployment.

The third risk is the military and political exploitation of Syrians. Fighters may be used in battles serving the calculations of external parties without having any real influence over strategic decisions or the outcome of the war, he continued.

Muslim also warned of the potential legal and security consequences of such participation, depending on the organizations involved, the parties alongside which Syrians fight, and the relevant national and international laws.

He noted that the possibility of Syria's relations with regional countries deteriorating, or Syrian territory and communities becoming arenas for settling regional scores, is no less dangerous than the other risks.

Muslim stressed that the issue is not simply about who fights alongside whom, but also about the consequences of such participation for social unity, independent national decision-making and the prospects of moving from war to peace.

He emphasized that Syrians, who have paid a heavy price for internal conflict, do not need to import new hostilities. Instead, they need to build safeguards that prevent violence from passing from one generation to another and from one arena to another.

Protecting National Decision-Making and Combating Sectarian Incitement

On the government's role in protecting independent national decision-making and preventing sectarian incitement while maintaining regional relations, Muslim said this requires a balanced policy that places the interests of the Syrian people at the center of regional relations and prevents Syria from becoming an arena for settling scores or implementing foreign agendas.

He explained that this begins with strengthening state institutions, placing weapons and decisions on war and peace under the authority of national institutions, and preventing the establishment of armed formations that operate outside the law or follow foreign directives.

He added that the government must combat sectarian incitement in accordance with the law and guarantee the rights of all communities without discrimination or selective application.

Addressing this phenomenon cannot rely on security measures alone, Muslim stressed. It also requires strengthening citizenship, rebuilding trust between society and the state, and addressing poverty and unemployment, which may make some young people more vulnerable to recruitment and radicalization.

At the international level, Muslim called on the government to pursue a policy based on dialogue, diplomacy and balanced cooperation with regional countries, without becoming dependent on regional blocs.

He stressed that "national sovereignty is not merely a slogan. It is the state's ability to make decisions independently and protect its citizens from becoming fuel for other people's conflicts."

Call for Syrians to Verify Information Before Joining Conflicts

Concluding his remarks, Muslim urged Syrian citizens not to be swayed by emotional or religious slogans before verifying the identities of those behind calls to fight, their actual objectives and the interests they seek to advance.

He said that not every conflict presented as a defense of the oppressed or human dignity necessarily serves Syrians' interests or national causes.

He added that people must remain alert to disinformation and rhetoric that exploits memories of the Syrian war to stir fear and revenge. He stressed the importance of distinguishing individual responsibility from collective responsibility and rejecting the use of sectarian differences to justify hostility or violence.

Muslim noted that participating in fighting abroad may have legal, security and humanitarian consequences for individuals, their families and their communities. Solidarity with other peoples, he emphasized, does not require taking up arms; it can also be expressed through humanitarian and civil work, documenting violations and defending rights through peaceful means.

At the end of his statement to ANHA, political researcher and academic Dr. Ibrahim Muslim posed a question to Syrians before they respond to any call to fight:

"Who truly benefits from my participation? Does this participation help achieve peace and stability, or does it reproduce the Syrian tragedy in new arenas?"

Dr. Ibrahim Muslim is a political researcher and academic who holds a doctorate in environmental science and organic agriculture from the University of Normandy in France.

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ANHA